Day 14 (Friday, May 16): Familiarity

*Real-time update: Completing these blog posts is actually more time-consuming than I thought so I apologize once again for not finishing on July 7, 2014. I’m sure none of you are on the edge of your seat waiting for me to write them all, so I don’t think anyone is too disappointed. I do promise to post at least one a day until I reach day 29 (woohoo half-way point) 🙂

Everyone in our 8-person room woke up within minutes of one other around 7:30am. Breakfast was delayed by half an hour, but Taniqua and I went down early to put our bags in Chand’s van. Then, we filled our water bottles. Shortly after, breakfast was served. Breakfast was on the heavier side with round soft bread, bean curry and basil-like sauce.

I didn’t get too much food. Drank some coffee, which tasted good. Outside, Sesen asked me if I liked my seat in the van and I jokingly said “yeah you tryin to steal my seat?” She said no, she feels bad that she’s squishing Lindsey in the back and said I probably liked the middle seat because I’m half-sized and proceeded to tell people in the van the lunch story from yesterday. Haha.

First stop was Abbi Falls.

The trail down to the waterfall was lined by luscious green foliage.

Tibetan monks clad in their red robes were visiting the area that day. There was a bridge that people can stand on in front of the waterfall, which made for perfect picture opportunities.

On the way back, Lindsey and I speedily climbed up the trail. It felt like running stadium stairs – great workout!

Second stop was an elephant camp.

After exiting the van, our driver asked Sesen a series of questions: “what’s your name?” “what’s your religion?” “Are you married?” She joked to Alvian that she has another suitor. Several of us needed to use the restroom, and it was pay-and-use. Vlogged the mini boat ride across the lake/river to reach the camp.

We waited in a long line for the elephant. At one point, an elephant got mad and turned around. Not sure what the context was, but made me think about animal treatment again. Lauren and I conversed with a couple next to us in line. They were curious about who we were and what we were studying in India. We asked them about where they’re from. I love spontaneous conversations with strangers. The ride was quick. I rode with Lauren, Adam, Kelsey R and Taniqua.

An elephant sneezed on some of our students while they were riding it. Afterwards, we checked out the nearby elephant reserve. It was an open green field with one elephant and several cows/bulls.

Then, we travelled by boat back to the other side and got in the van.

Lunch: first place was closed so we ended up at a hotel restaurant called Planter’s Inn. We got a balcony view on the fourth floor. Sat with Dan, Sesen and Alvian. Then, what seemed like fireworks resounded from below. Most of us got up out of our seats and peered over the balcony.

A large number of people were gathered on the streets, and we were told it had something to do with the elections.

I ordered mango juice and also had a sip of Sesen’s bottled coke. It tasted good, but I couldn’t compare it to anything because I stopped drinking soda many years ago. I got the Hong Kong noodles. Sesen got aloo palak (potato and spinach curry). Alvian got dragon chicken. Dan got Singapore noodles. Sesen and Dan ordered strawberry ice cream for dessert, and they offered a taste. The flavor was very artificial. I was pleasantly surprised the restroom had toilet paper and hand soap, but it was the ground type. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this yet, but it’s always a good idea to carry a stash of toilet paper with you at all times.

Third stop: entered Tibetan settlement to visit the Golden Temple.

I jokingly said to Sesen and Alvian that I feel like I belonged here because I saw a lot of people of East Asian descent. Lindsey shared that she learned about Buddhism in her lit and religion course. Tibet is a country, but China is trying to claim it, so many have emigrated. I felt so enlightened at the temple because I knew I had some family history with the religion (my grandma use to practice when I was little and I remember her praying with incense at her Buddha shrine). We walked up some steps with a white lion statue and entered a doorway with an elaborate golden knob covered by a curtain of beads.

Three intricate golden Buddha statues lined the front wall and the rest of the walls were filled with colorful patterned images.

I wasn’t sure what type of ritual was taking place, but rows of monks clad in gold and red robes were sitting on the floor behind long tables. One person was rhythmically hitting a drum. Transcendental-like prayer/music permeated the temple and around its occupants. Two guys brought offerings to the crowd watching the ritual.

Sahanna got one and asked if I wanted to split. I said “yes.” She took one bite and gave the rest to me. It tasted like some Chinese cookie I’ve eaten before – very good.

We walked to another building to see incense and offerings on a table, which closely resembled something my grandma used to have at her house.

Anna, Adam and I were having a conversation with Dr. Raj. Adam asked how he met his wife. At first, he was like “I don’t have to answer all these questions… but I will.” They met in Mysore with an educational purpose. He added he was the one to ask her. Haha. So cute. Dr. Raj was intrigued in listening to Lindsey talk more about Buddhism. She shared that Buddhists believe everyone is suffering and the way to go is to detach yourself from materialism. It’s a religion of happiness. At the temple entrance, we were all intrigued with a little shop there. They had lots of gift-able items, and I was so excited to purchase some for my family!

Something I noticed at the temple is that people actually made eye contact with me, which is something I didn’t experience at Manipal despite the large population of Asian/Malaysian students there. Even in the US, Asian people often make eye contact with one another just because we feel some sort of connection I guess?

On the roads to Mysore, we encountered speed bumps and saw a cemetery for the first time. As always, the music was good, but much more interesting this time: Arabic and Indian songs, “Kiss Me through the Phone” by Soulja Boy remixed with an Indian song, “Gangnam Style” by Psy remixed with an Indian song and Akon “Right na na na”.

Reached Mysore at night. I immediately noticed how modern the city was, but it still resembled some poverty. I saw traffic lights that cars actually obeyed, a Shell gas station, a large fancy lit-up wedding hall and car dealerships. I was laughing to myself when a song with a series of machine sounds (car, airplane, lawnmower) came on. I looked around and everyone was either asleep or unamused. I don’t know why I found it so funny. Then, a dog barking song and a chicken song played. I began cracking up again. This time, people were awake and teased me. I said I can’t stop laughing at this weird music because I’m in a laughing mood right now. We turned left into a driveway lined with mini water fountains and saw the hotel sign, Sandesh the Prince.

The grandeur appearance of the exterior made me believe it was a five star hotel. A bell hop in a regal costume was ready at the front door to greet us all. We walked in to see a 3-D cricket momento on the ground, glass elevators and large metal décor lining the wall and ceiling.

Very pristine and grandiose. A man in a black suit welcomed us by serving a bluish-purple drink of Shiva.

I liked it, but couldn’t pinpoint what it was exactly. I was in room 1031 with Lindsey. Everything was really clean and the shower was refreshing because it was western style. The bed felt like clouds that night.

Day 13 (Thursday, May 15): Mother’s Bounty

Woke up at 7:30am. Packed for the Mysore weekend trip. 8:40am breakfast: pancake, omelet, tomato curry, tea. Looked over public health book. Took the quiz at 9am. It went alright. A lot of people thought it was harder than the first one. Got the 1^st quiz back and got 18.5/20 points.

Went back to hostel to get backpack. Waited in the lobby because Dr. Raj was getting the boys from their hostel. Meanwhile, we discovered a small ice cream and snack shop on the ground floor of our hostel. In a single file line, all of us signed out in the security guard’s book – and so the adventure begins.

The vehicle options were a Toyota Sienna minivan or a larger traveling van. Lindsey and I had our eyes on the minivan. Xhonela, Taniqua, Adam, Alvian and our driver Chand were the other occupants in the minivan. Chand played some good throw back jams: Edward Maya, Akcent, Three 6 Mafia (lolli lolli), Rihanna (Umbrella), Wyclef Jean (Sweetest Girl), MIMS (This is Why I’m Hot) and techno dance music. I was enjoying the car ride way too much because of the music haha. Everyone was sleeping at one point, but I didn’t feel tired. I took in all the sights and sounds.

The driving is so scary. There are numerous signs that forewarn an accident zone with a picture of a skull and “x” – wanted to get a picture of this, but never did 😦 Weaving in and out of traffic was the normality.

We stopped at a restaurant to eat lunch. The waiting time was quite long, but Nikki, Xhonela, Sesen and I passed the time well by talking. We all ordered some really good mango juice called Mazza; it’s healthy and not artificial too.

For food, I ordered the chicken biriyani. I asked the waiter how big the half-size and full-size meals are, and the waiter sized me up and said the half-size is appropriate for me. Haha. The biriyani was okay because it was a little spicy. At lunch, Dr. Raj told me he found my blog through OSU’s public health twitter. He said I wrote too much about him. Haha.

Got back in the car for more driving. Mysore is about 6 hours away from Manipal.

The ride was crazy as usual. This time, I actually cringed and held on to Adam multiple times. I couldn’t help but think of head-on collisions as we were regularly faced with oncoming traffic.

Our driver is extremely skilled though. The music was still bumpin: Flo Rida (Low), Akon (Beautiful, Dangerous), Avril Lavigne (Complicated, Girlfriend). Adam mentioned how it’s crazy that we still remember the lyrics of songs that we haven’t heard in awhile. Who else has thought about this? I wish studying worked that way… Driving on the mountain was breathtaking, but nerve-wracking at the same time. A lot of sharp turns and winding roads.

We lodged in a place called “Mother’s Bounty” on top of a mountain in Madikeri.

Our minivan arrived late because we took a couple wrong turns. The girl’s living arrangements were: a 2-person room, a 4-person room or an 8-person room with four beds. I stayed in the larger room.

Before dinner, we took a trip to see the sunset on the mountains. Sesen joined us this time in the minivan because she felt her seat in the traveling fan was precariously uncomfortable. She said she had no one in front of her and no seatbelt, so she has to brace every time the driver brakes. The view was breathtakingly beautiful. There was an official overhang with silver railings ideal for a group picture, but our large group never got a chance to occupy that space because of other visitors so we took a group picture overlooking the mountains at another spot instead.

Lauren, Kelsey and I decided to hike over to a cliff overhang that looked like it was just floating in the abyss.

We watched the sunset there, which was absolutely stunning. As a collective group, we took lots of O-H-I-O, jumping, yoga, individual and group pictures.

This is the most scenic part of the trip so far. We walked back and took a group pic with Dr. Raj in it. Upon arriving, he showed Alvian his Buckeye hat he brought in his backpack, so I asked him where it was before taking this group picture and he put it on. Haha.

We had to wait about 1.5 hours until dinner so some people played cards or showered. I watched Pitch Perfect with Taniqua. Dinner was served downstairs in a dimly lit dining hall. When I came down, everyone was freaking about a tarantula-sized spider. I tried to take a picture, but it didn’t come out very well – maybe for the better because I don’t want to remember that large creature.

Dinner was okay:rice, rice noodles, stir-fry noodles and an assortment of curry. A lot of the dishes were spicy, so it didn’t sit well with my taste palate.

The noodles in sweet milk dessert, however, was delicious. It tasted like frosted flakes to me. Made me miss eating cereal every morning for breakfast.

After dinner, they had a bonfire for us. I didn’t feel like going because it was out in the woods at night, where bugs are rampant (I am an attraction for mosquitos), but it ended up to be a good bonding time. At first, we were all mingling, but then someone suggested we play telephone. Sesen came up with the phrase “epidemiological studies depend on monkey species” or something along those lines. At the end, the phrase changed a little bit, but the topic was still correct. Then, someone suggested playing two truths, one lie. Kelsey, Lauren and I simultaneously expressed our dislike for the game, but reluctantly participated. It wasn’t as bad as I thought and I actually enjoyed playing this time. Dr. Raj opted out, but agreed to come up with his own the following day once he has thought more about it. Here was mine: 1) I’ve never donated my hair. 2) I jump rope on a regular basis. 3) I didn’t know English entering Kindergarten. Some people guessed #2, but consensus was #1. Taniqua asked when, and I said last year some time, but it was actually two years ago. Time flies! The bonfire didn’t last too long.

Experienced a bucket shower because the facility didn’t have a shower faucet. Woohoo adding that to the India Bucket List that I will post on this blog. Haha did you notice the play on words? To my surprise, the bucket shower felt refreshing. Nikki asked how tall I am and I told her the story of how I always thought I was 5 feet tall, but went to the doctors one day and they broke the news to me that I was only 4 feet 11 inches and three quarters – but hey we can round up right? Lindsey found a couple bugs on our bed that had projection-like legs that moved itself. She killed them, but it was freaky. Surprisingly, I wasn’t too phased about it when I was sleeping. There was no AC, just a fan. I was the last one to finish showering and head to bed. Everyone wrapped themselves in their sheets like a cocoon, but I was too hot, so I was just a taco. Hahah what nice analogies. I wore long sleeves and long pants to protect myself from potential bugs. Slept well I guess (except for the nose congestion that a lot of other people felt too) because I didn’t wake up until the morning – must have been the road trip exhaustion.

Day 12 (Wednesday, May 14): Places you Go, People you Meet

Hit snooze on the alarm today and woke up at 7:30am. 8:30am breakfast: omelet, curried potatoes and onions, tea. I saw Raushan sit at the long table by himself. I decided to go ask him why he’s sitting alone. R-“I have an exam tomorrow.” He explains it’s like medicinal pharmacology and that he needs to know all these structures. He flipped through the packet in front of him and I said “like organic chemistry?” And he said “yeah.”
Me-“when does school end for you?”
R-“end of May. Then I’m going home for 2.5 months for summer and then coming back in August”
Me-“How was your exam yesterday?”
R-“Good. I didn’t have to worry too much but this one I will”
Me-“When are you done with pharmacy school?”
R-“2017. I thought about taking a pharmacy course at OSU. Is it a good program?”
I told him it’s pretty good. He said he looked at it and thought it was good.
Me-“Alright well best of luck to you.”
R-“Thanks. See ya”.
I turned around and see a lot of our OSU group staring at me. Hahah.. I sat down and commotion ensued. #awkward Hopefully Raushan doesn’t think we’re too weird. Adam was looking at me strangely and then spilled he took pictures of us talking!

We walked to the front of the Manipal Library at 9:30am. Sat next to Adam so I can see the candid pictures he took. He offered me some gum, and I finally got to taste the sour patch flavor that Taniqua is obsessed with. It was pretty good. Adam and I had some quality conversations about life.

We visited a primary health center, which was very similar to the one we saw two days ago.

The medical director talked to us about the free immunization program provided for children.

The center collects water samples to test for contamination and provide temporary methods to achieve clean and safe water in the community.

Baby delivery room.

Refrigerated vaccines.

Water well.

After, we drove to Kaup Beach to see a lighthouse that was closed. It was a beautiful beach with no foot traffic.

Back to Manipal for a lecture about child health. I’ll highlight some notable facts I learned:

– Asphyxia describes severely deficient oxygen supply and is a leading cause of death in regards to umbilical cord suffocation.

– Helminths are worms (ex. Hookworm) and they eat all your nutrients so that you can never gain weight.

– In India, values are carried in the middle class. The lower class tends to smoke and drink more.

– A child in sub-Saharan Africa is likely to have a case of malaria every 40 days (get stung again).

– Emergency numbers in India were developed about 5 years ago.

– Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT) + immunizations are the most effective measures in reducing the disability adjusted life years (DALYs), which can be thought of to mean how many years of a healthy life you’ve lost due to disability.

Studied in coffee shop with Lauren and Kelsey and then went back to room to wait for the cleaning lady. After dinner, Kelsey and I went to Lauren’s room to run through the online quizzes together in preparation for tomorrow’s quiz. Slept around 1am.

Day 11 (Tuesday, May 13): Lost in Town

Woke up at 7:30am. Wanted to do something productive in the morning to make up for the laziness last night, but internet wasn’t working.

8:35am breakfast: mashed rice that looked and tasted like mashed potatoes, regular rice, omelet and tea. The food was good this morning. Complimented Paul on his health survey he sent out to everyone last night. He’s trying to pinpoint what caused people’s sickness yesterday. I ran into Raushan twice getting tea and returning our dishes. Me- “I keep running into you!” R-“it’s good huh?” I gave a small chuckle.

Went to a community health center (secondary care). Lindsey and Adam are both better today so that’s good.

Here are my haphazardly taken notes:

-There are three levels of medical care here: primary (general), secondary (some specializations) and tertiary (hospital)

-Immunization program for children free of cost

-Infant mortality rate = 47

-When delivering at home, floors may be uneven and people sometimes use cow dung to even it out

-If you deliver at the hospital, you get baby goodies as an incentive

-below poverty line (BPL) is earning less than 70000 rupees a year

-Accredited social health activists (ASHAs) are social workers that act as liaisons between the health centers and villages. Typically, 1 per population of 1000.

-Cold chaining means maintaining temperature for transporting medicine. They use ice line refrigerators and freezers

-Health centers utilize a lot of pictorial posters for education on topics such as: promoting small families, warning against smoking, anemia and no premarital sex.

-The Angawadi center pick two girls from BPL and provide them benefits

-Legal age of marriage is 18

-Integrated Counseling and Testing Center (ICTC) links ART and health centers

-Examples of personnel available: medical officer, dentist, ayurvedic doctor, staff nurse, pharmacist, gynecologist, pediatrician, consultant surgeon, lab technician.

-This center suffers from lack of physicians because it is located in a rural area. The quality of life is inevitably lower, so not many want to move and work here.

-The medical officers do autopsies

-Information Education Communication (IEC) program -> prevention better than cure

-Funded by state government

-Special programs: Mental health care and village nutrition camp once a month. Sexual health every Thursday 3-5pm.

-Major difference between primary and secondary centers: X-rays and other specialists at secondary level.

-They have a poor patients fund where anyone can donate to help those that don’t have the means to pay for medical treatment

Returned to university at 12pm. Waited at wifi tree to head to lunch with Lindsey at 1pm.

Sat at rock garden to check email, Facebook, renew library book and download Dr Raj’s power points. They took longer than usual to download and of course I left the most important thing to do last, so I didn’t finish before leaving for class. Learned about women’s health, which really piqued my interest.

– Sex determination is illegal (not allowed to abort the baby if they found out it will be a girl. Males preferred in society)

– Women suffer more from HIV & STI’s

– India vs. US: no malpractice insurance. Not many malpractice claims in India. Everyone wants to be a specialist. Everyone is an independent business, not under a system.

– Nursing homes exist where people often go to deliver babies, but they cannot handle complicated cases.

– South Asian women don’t easily come out about domestic violence.

Class ended around 3:15pm. On the ground floor, our group circled up to talk about going to Udupi. I split off with Adam, Kelsey and Lauren. They wanted to go to a store called Fab India. We looked it up online, and it was quite expensive. Pants are like $60 USD and saris for $500 USD. So we decided against it and joined everyone for Udupi. We agreed to meet Adam at the wifi tree once we got our purses and money from the hostel.

Met the rest of the crew in the lobby, and I stayed with them waiting for Alexa, but it turns out she already left. Walked to the rickshaw stand with everyone. We had an odd number of triplets to fit in the rickshaw, so Kelsey, Lauren, Adam and I had to go as doubles. Adam and I were rickshaw buddies. Vlogged during the ride and took selfies.

Arrived in Udupi with Nikki, Ashley, Xhonela, Kelsey and Lauren. Adam paid him 90 rupees, and I paid Adam 40. We were lost at first. Nothing seemed familiar on the streets but fortunately, we wandered back to the bus port and our spatial memory started working. We stopped by shoe, clothes and jewelry stores. I bought a sleeveless Kurti at a place called Anand Silks. It’s olive green with intricate white flowers. Bought it for 310 rupees and had it tailored to my body too, so it was a fun time. I tried it on and asked everyone what they thought. Xhonela said I looked super oriental in it. Haha.

Lauren purchased a new 22 karat gold nose ring. The store was pure royalty. Multiple security men guarded the building. The first time we walked by the building, one guard even carried a long rifle. The place was air-conditioned and smelled very nice. A lady with a red and gold sari greeted us and asked what we were looking for. I told her “nose rings”. We were told to go up to the second floor. We climbed the stairs to meet another women dressed in the same red and gold sari who asked what kind of nose ring. Lauren said “gold”. We were taken to the room on the right and asked to sit down. They pulled about 10 different nose rings for Lauren to see. The first batch had diamonds, but Lauren wasn’t into shiny ones. She picked a pure gold ring that cost 1600 rupees ($27 USD). She needed help putting in the ring, and they said someone could help after she paid. I heard the term “Indian mother” used. We exited the building to walk to a sister store. It was a pretty modern building. The front desk lady was really nice and offered drinks to us: water, tea, coffee. She said it would take ten minutes for the person to come help Lauren put in her nose ring. Adam suggested we should get my tailored Kurti during the wait. He accompanied me to the store, which was surprisingly close by. We returned before the “Indian mother” came, but the person turned out to be a guy. The ring was a little wider than Lauren’s current one, so it hurt a bit. Tears were flowing from her eyes.

We got lost again trying to find the restaurant, Gokula Krishna where we agreed to meet for dinner at 7:30pm. Adam and I led the way, and it was a rare display of my directional senses that normally are sub-par. We sat at a table for four that was isolated from the other 12 members of our group by a pillar because we were the last to arrive. Adam ordered a spinach curry that he didn’t end up liking. Kelsey got the Gobi Manchurian (cauliflower) and vegetable burnt garlic noodles. Lauren had tikka masala, garlic naan and rice. I ordered the Singapore noodles, which was good but more spicy than I thought.

We went to the bakery and ice cream shop afterwards. Lauren got a lava cake. Kelsey and I got mango ice cream, and Adam got butterscotch ice cream. The ice cream had mango chunks, which made it so good! Lauren said “make a face to show how you feel about your ice cream!” and took a picture of Kelsey and I with our savoring faces.

We caught two rickshaws back to the university. We saw Kelsey and Lauren on the other side of some steep ledges. I was in a skirt, so Adam helped me jump the ledges. I asked everyone what they were planning to do back in the dorms – shower, read, study, journal, watch movies.

Kelsey and Lauren used the wifi under the tree, but I left my phone in the room. We ended up sitting down and chilling by the tree for a good half hour talking about boyfriends, life stories, future careers, volunteering, hospitals, free clinics, research, gynecology, differences between Indian and American healthcare facilities. Deep conversations are one of the best things about life.

Day 10 (Monday, May 12): Sick Day

Woke up around 7:45am. Anna and I stepped out of our rooms at the same time so we walked to breakfast together at 8:30am. Breakfast consisted of onion pancakes, omelet, veggie curry and tea. Tried Alexa’s bottled mango juice that she bought at one of the stores at the back of the cafeteria. It was good, but not entirely sure if it is healthy (more artificial than natural).

Waited for bus at 9:30am. Sat next to Adam on the bus and asked how he was. He fell ill last night and is not sure what the cause is. Lindsey didn’t go on the field visit at all because she was ill last night also. Adam said his sickness comes in waves. We arrived at the Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) and Directly Observed Therapy, Short-Course (DOTS) buildings.

Had a hard time concentrating because of the heat, but I did learn some valuable things. These are the notes that I took at the facility:

Both are testing centers. Service is free of charge to patients. They even reimburse bus fares.

HIV/AIDS

• Funded by National AIDS and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
• Hospital waste management exists. Use color-coded bins.
• HIV is detected by the CD4 cell test count. CD4 cells are also called T cells, and they send signals to activate your body’s immune response when they detect “intruders,” like viruses or bacteria. Normal count is 1500. At risk is 350. HIV is essentially the loss of immune cells hence its name, human immunodeficiency virus. HIV destroys CD4 lymphocytes.
• They are using computerized medical records now (not sure how recent)
• Most common ways HIV is detected in this region of India: heterosexual sex, mother-to-child and intravenous drug use
• HIV is a disease of behavior
• A trial HIV vaccine is in the works. Something to do with bees. A challenge is that a virus can modify rapidly unlike bacteria – hard to create vaccine
• This facility is the only one in state that administers treatment
• Timeline of drugs: first line drugs = combination of 5 drugs. If resistant = 2^nd line drugs. Medication is taken lifelong.
• Side effects of drugs: bone marrow destruction, peripheral neuropathy, life threatening skin rashes, gastrointestinal problems. If any of these occur, stop and switch drugs
• Common opportunistic infections include TB and the varicella zoster virus
• Drugs are given during delivery in the case of an HIV-infected mother to reduce the risk of transmission
• Okay to breastfeed during first six months because it helps with immunity, but have to balance
• Mother-to-child transmission can happen in womb, during labor or when breastfeeding

TB

3 step test that requires 1 hour. Testing antibodies. Antibodies typically takes 3-6 months to form. Antigens form first, then antibodies. 1^st test might be false positive. 2^nd test confirms TB 100%.

DOTS (directly observed treatment, short-course) is the name given to the tuberculosis control strategy recommended by the World Health Organization.

• Government commitment (including political will at all levels, and establishment of a centralized and prioritized system of TB monitoring, recording and training).
• Case detection by sputum smear microscopy.
• Standardized treatment regimen directly of six to eight months observed by a healthcare worker or community health worker for at least the first two months.
• A regular, uninterrupted drug supply.
• A standardized recording and reporting system that allows assessment of treatment results.

Source: Wikipedia

Dr. Kamath asked us to brainstorm how to improve detection and treatment of HIV/AIDS and TB. Here are some of the responses given by our group:

• Open more centers like these
• Emphasize on the importance of following up
• Education
• Awareness to general public
• Educate more on mother-to-child transmission
• Link these testing centers to the primary health centers
• Provide transportation
• Universal testing
• Training more personnel
• Counseling (India is planning to acquire counselors in schools, not only for HIV/AIDS and TB but for general stress too). HIV, STD, TB. 20-30 minute sessions depending on how comfortable the patient is. Can change counselors or last for a few days. Women counselors available. Reduce suicide rates. Many patients depend on counselor to make decision. Stemmed off of hierarchal society of India.
• Reducing stigma, which depends on literacy

Kelsey F struck up a conversation with three student doctors as were walking to the bus and asked to take a picture of them. They wanted to know our names so we introduced ourselves. They were so nice and thought we were going to come back to the facilities to help around.

Kelsey R and Adam hitched a ride in Dr. Kamath’s car because they weren’t feeling well. The rest of us waited on the bus for Alvian and Sahanna to return from their doctor visit for skin rashes and large bubbling bug bites, respectively. They received medication and ointment.

Left for lunch around 1pm and sat with Alvian and Sesen. Sesen posed a really thought-provoking question: how did people of different races acquire their traits. For example, she mentioned black people have dark skin because of the sun. Then she inquired why Asians have small eyes, and I have no idea what the evolution behind that is. Good question to research. I’ll post my findings! Haha. Not much credible sources out there, but this is what I found:

Not all Asians have “smaller” eyes. This mainly applies to East Asians. Their eyes aren’t technically smaller, either. They simply have an extra patch of skin called an epithelial fold above their eyes.

That fold allows them to protect their eyes against extreme cold and fierce winds that occur in Tibet. Average annual snowfall is 18 inches and the land is severely dry 9 months out of the year.

The epithelial fold is simply the way they adapted to their environment. Tibet is where the ancestors of many East Asians lived for tens of thousands of years before migrating to warmer places. The epithelial fold, however, is part of the DNA now and so continues to be a trademark of East Asians.

Source: http://www.omgfacts.com/History/East-Asians-have-smaller-eyes-due-to-a-g/52005#413wDJXqAKOP8GJd.99

If you live in the tropics, dark skin is a helpful adaptation, because it protects your skin from sunlight (fewer sun burns and cancers).

If you live in the northern latitudes where there is significantly less sun certain times of the year, light skin is a helpful adaptation, because it allows more sunlight to penetrate the dermis, thereby creating more vitamin D.

The primary characteristic of East Asian eyes is called the epicanthic fold, and we believe it may have evolved to protect the eye from harsh winds, but the jury is still out on that one.

Source: http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1kqquy/eli5_how_did_humans_in_asia_evolve_to_have/

We finished our food and left the cafeteria, but saw Kelsey R walking in so I decided to keep her company while she eats. Saw Raushan eating and we waved hello! Walked to the library. Class with Dr. Raj at 2pm: nutrition and global health. I find this topic very interesting and am familiar with most of it so that’s fun.

Dr. Kamath wanted us to experience a “laser light show” in the building adjacent to the library. I would describe it more like an interactive movie theater. It was incredible. The premise was explaining what Manipal is all about and persuading prospective students to study here. The elaborate presentation definitely persuaded me! OSU needs to step up its game. Haha.

Walked back to the hostel. Thought tea time was at 4pm (instead of 4:30pm), so I ended up walking and exploring by myself near the cafeteria and library.

At tea time, the snack was fried dough balls. Didn’t eat it, but drank tea.

As we were walking up to the hostel so people can get money for shopping, a woman drove up to us on a motorcycle asking if we’re from Ohio. I recognized her as the doctor who showed up to one of our lectures last week to introduce herself to us. She said she needed someone to accompany Lindsey at the hospital. Sahanna volunteered and jumped on the motorcycle. Lindsey had a gastrointestinal infection and needed IV fluids and two shots because she could not keep any food or liquid in her system. This ended up costing her an equivalent of $20 USD for medical treatment, which is a notable difference compared to the US.

Kelsey F, Rachel, Anna, Dan and I went shopping. Rachel and Anna went to a purse shop while Kelsey, Dan and I searched for the bangle shop. We were directed to a gift house that had two floors, and we walked up the twisty narrow stairs with toys and clocks lined on the side walls. There were a bunch of knick knacks everywhere. I ended up buying orange and yellow sparkly bangles for 80 rupees.

Dinner consisted of rice, veggies, potatoes and curry. A lot of people are telling me that they’re relying on my blog posts to remember details for their own journal. Haha. It feels nice to know these serve some type of purpose.

Day 9 (Sunday, May 11): Peace in the Mountains

First time wearing a kurti today! It’s made of a silky material with a blue swirly pattern. The size is a little too loose, but extremely comfy. Fellow group members commented on the kurti. I questioned “doesn’t this look like PJs?” and they responded “but that’s the best part.” Very true. I am planning to wear this kurti to sleep in the states. Even though the material is so light, I am still sweating.

We took a 45-minute bus ride to a temple on the mountain. A MPH student named Sandeep accompanied us on the trip. Had a nice talk with him about our group & objectives in this study abroad program and about his future career plans. He graduated from university, worked as a nurse for two years, went back to school to get his MPH and he is now graduating in July. He asked what other trips we go on. I said Mysore, and he said that’s like a 9-hour drive but the weather is less humid. The drive to the temple was beautiful – full of lush and green vegetation. On the way up the mountain, there were a lot of hairpin loops as indicated by the road signs. The first thoughts that popped in my head were biochemistry and molecular genetics. Bahaha (#sciencenerdforev). First monkey family siting on the side of the road! Too cute.

We stopped at Sunset Point where an overhang was available for seeing the view.

We took a group picture and selfies were inevitable. A lot of flies and bugs were buzzing around the pavilion. Near the bus on a stone ledge, people placed a lot of mini bananas to attract monkeys. One popped up as I was walking over there, and I got a selfie along with a regular pic of Sahanna and I with it. I feel connected to monkeys because I was born in the year of the monkey according to the Chinese zodiac.

We rode another 10 minutes or so to the temple. We took off and checked our shoes at an office shack. We went in a couple temples and observed while others prayed. Sandeep and Sahanna participated in some rituals. There was a river where patrons wash themselves before praying. Large fishes that looked like baby sharks were splashing around in the water too. Adam is now infamously known to take candid pictures of everyone so I made it a mission to catch a candid of him.

We went into a dining hall filled with rows and rows of people sitting on the marble floor. Silver pans were being passed out. I was really nervous about the situation at first because I am not used to eating with only my hands. I feel less sanitary. I ended up eating the larger chunks of rice that weren’t soaked in the curry. Filmed a quality vlog segment with Lauren and Lindsey in the dining hall.

The washroom turned into the exit and I felt uncomfortable walking bare foot in there because the floors were wet. I normally don’t walk barefoot anywhere. I was scared of contracting bacteria, but then we walked on the extremely hot asphalt so hopefully that cleansed the feet. Lindsey was holding a baby and taking a picture with it when I came out of the washroom. I noticed that a lot of people there were fascinated by Americans. We walked to the entrance of the temple and attempted to retrieve our shoes but needed Sandeep’s token. It turns out Kelsey F. lost us somewhere and never got to eat so Sandeep went with her. I caught a good candid of Adam on the way to the entrance. Muahaha. We waited in the tunnel entrance and endured many many stares and laughs. We stood along the wall for probably 20 minutes and Lindsey got asked by or simply was handed a baby from like seven families who wanted pictures with her. She enjoyed it. I think her Kurti outfit and America appearance attracted them.

I was wondering what the reasoning for this fascination was. I am thinking it is because India is so homogenous that they do not see people of different color on the streets. The homogeny is probably exacerbated at temples. I think Sahanna was the one who shared this with us at the beach, but she said that people like taking pictures with Americans because they like to show off that they have an American “friend”. I later find out that parents throw their babies or children into an American’s arms because they think it foreshadows good fortune. I think I’m too “Asian” to be different here.

After Sandeep came back, we retrieved our shoes and were harassed by women beggars with babies. I remember someone telling me not to give money to beggars.

On the descent down the mountain, several boys in wife beaters were jamming to music from their car on the side of the road waving around tree branches. I like the free spirit haha.

Next stop, 1000 temples. Napping on the bus while maneuvering on a mountain feels like a rollercoaster. Soothing in a way. The Jain temple is noted to have 1000 pillars. A third religious site that housed a naked statue man was planned, but it was closed so we headed back to Manipal. Hopped off bus feeling tired and dirty. Thanked Sandeep for accompanying us. Wish we got to talk to him more – nice guy.

Tea time: pastry with curried veggies inside (dip in ketchup) and chocolate brownie that doesn’t have the same taste as US brownies. Some people started saying it tastes like chap stick. The consistency was the same and I couldn’t stop thinking about chap stick as I was eating it but in the end reminded myself that this might be a different kind of chocolate.

Walked back to hostel around 6pm. There I uploaded pics to computer, washed clothes, used make-up wipes for face, washed feet and wrote for blog. Cafeteria food for dinner was spicy, but got to try the doughnut-like dessert that you always have to ask for for them to give it to you (this time they included it). Pretty tasty. Went with Kelsey R. to buy dessert from the stores in the back of the cafeteria. She purchased a mango milkshake (50 rupees) and I got a mango smoothie (120 rupees). Common consensus said mine tasted better so I guess you pay for the quality. Kelsey, Lauren and I left together.

At the Manipal round-about intersection, I was aware of two people sitting on some stairs overlooking the road. I was just walking and minding my own business when a friendly face was lit up by car lights and he was staring back at me. Me in my head- “do I know you?” He starts smiling and waved. I gave a shy wave and smiled back. It was Raushan, my friend! It’s an interesting and heartwarming feeling to have someone you’ve become acquainted with in a foreign country with whom you are able to greet every time you see them. #blessed

Day 8 (Saturday, May 10): First Field Trip, Anatomy Museum & Circus

9:30am: Met in front of the Manipal Library for the first field trip! Dr. Raj was planning to accompany us, but something came up so we went with Sameer and Dr. Rao (unsure if that’s his name). We boarded a yellow Manipal bus to the Anganavadi Centre about 10 minutes away. The teal building itself was modest in size and a pink colored school was in the background. We took our shoes off and went in. We sat around the perimeter of the square-shaped room and discussed what exactly an Anganavadi Centre is. Two women oversee the place: one’s a teacher and the other an assistant/cook. Two little boys were there when we arrived. About 25 children regularly come to this particularly center. Paintings/murals covered the walls and served as a way to teach the children subjects such as seasons, animals and colors.

The children play games outside. Sameer termed this education as non-formal preschool overseeing newborns to children five years of age. Instruction is taught in the local language (Kanada), but a little bit of English is taught also. In addition to education for the children, the Anganavadi Centre is also a supplementary feeding and medical care program for low-income families. The children are fed according to a menu posted on the wall and the families also get rations of rice, beans, etc. They track the children’s growth according to a growth chart to check for normal development.

Medical care and immunizations are given at other facilities once a family is enrolled in this program. Women are allowed two pregnancies to receive ante-natal and post-natal care. A program for adolescent girls exists also. Someone questioned about sexual education which was very interesting. They used to teach it in the schools, but there were a lot of protests from people to stop sex ed because they thought it would encourage sexual behaviors at a young age. Fascinating how this is the same controversy as in the US. So now they do not teach it but try to include some information under the general category of “health”. Another program is in the works right now about sexual education. Someone else questioned about the prevalence of teenage pregnancy. Teenage pregnancies are not really common because of culture. If it does happen, almost all of them get an illegal abortion because they are ashamed and do not want anyone to know. Women previously used cloth diapers for menstruation, but they are switching to more sanitary western napkins. I was unaware that India has a pretty decent healthcare program for the economically disadvantaged. This preschool program is funded by the government. Went outside, took some pictures and boarded the bus.

Arrived at Manipal and waited until 1pm to eat lunch with Lindsey and Taniqua. For the first time, we did not sit at the long table because people were eating at different times. It was a pleasant change – felt more like a local student. Then, we had half an hour to spare before the 2:30pm meeting time so we went back to the hostel. Wrote in journal for a little bit and went back outside.

As I was exiting the hostel, the security and front desk ladies flagged me down with their native language. I was extremely confused, but went in her office and she handed me the telephone. Dr. Raj was on the other end. Hahah. He apologized for not being able to make the 2:30pm meeting time, but will likely reach Manipal at 3:30pm. He said he didn’t know how to tell everyone. I told him everyone should all be at the cafeteria so I can relay the message. What a nice coincidence that I came out at the right time. Haha. Some of us then decided to check out the Museum of Anatomy and Physiology. I was thoroughly impressed. Pretty large in size and extremely comprehensive – had every system in the human body (flashback to anatomy last semester), an encased embalmed body (kind of freaky. Someone mentioned it looked as if it could wake up at any minute), anomalies and diseases. The scariest part was the medical anomalies. There were a plethora of encased babies with different types of developmental disorders. Some of them seemed unreal… it was so sad 😦 Makes me nervous to have children. I do not believe we have a museum like this in the US. People were comparing this to the COSI Bodies exhibit, but I never went.

I was with Anna when we left the museum, and we decided to sit outside the cafeteria with Drew, Xhonela and Nikki. Dr. Raj rolled up in Dr. Kamath’s car. He said we would hate him if he told us why he was late. He was at Manipal U’s president’s 50^th wedding anniversary. Dr. Kamath received an invite so he took Dr. Raj as a guest. Haha.

We boarded the city bus to the circus. This time, we got a real city bus experience because it was extremely crowded. At one point, the money collector was waving me down to move further to the back of the bus so that we can pack more people in like sardines. Thankfully, a girl needed to get off, so I decided to sit in her seat which was more bearable then knocking elbows with everyone around you in a tight space. A group of us decided to take some selfies, which is always fun.

It cost 200 rupees to enter the circus. Many of us had mixed feelings after the 2.5 hour show. We were told that no animals would be used, but we got a not so pleasant surprise. Some of the people in our group were very sensitive about animal treatment so it made me think further about the potential horrible conditions the animals go through. They are trained to perform tricks, such as ringing a bell, blowing colored dust, playing cricket and riding a bicycle, which was neat to see, but abuse was likely endured. Animals were not made to be captured and conditioned to do human tricks, but to roam free in nature. I did enjoy some of the music selection (Be My Lover 90’s dance hit, Waka Waka by Shakira, and Ring my Bell by Enrique). The African performers were really energetic and lively, even putting fire down their pants.

After the show, some people went back to the hostel, some went shopping in Udupi City and some of us ate at the restaurant we went to last time (Gokula Krishna). I ordered Hakka noodles off the Asian menu, which was a nice variation from curry.

Everyone ordered Asian except for two people. Nine of us total were dining there. The power went out three times, which I have gotten used to happening. We attempted to find a store someone saw last time we were in Udupi, but just ended up lost. A guy from a travel agency saw us on the streets and told us to tell Dr. Raj to call him because he is not picking up his phone. Haha. We rode rickshaws back to Manipal.

Showered and dropped right to bed. When I woke up at 2am, my laptop was still on and next to me so I really did fall asleep abruptly. It doesn’t help that I was trying to do work in bed.

Day 7 (Friday, May 9): Play it Hard

Woke up in the middle of the night freezing so I flipped off the universal switch in the room. Woke up in the morning with a warm room. I got up at 7:15am and stayed in room until 8:45am to do some last minute studying for the first quiz. While I was brushing my teeth, the water trickled and slowly stopped altogether. I looked around the bathroom and used the bidet to wipe the toothpaste off my face. When the water turned back on in the afternoon, the color was brown for a couple minutes. This made me think about the availability of clean water (or lack of) in the world and how we are so fortunate to not have to worry about access or sanitation in the US compared to other countries. Sometimes I take hour-long showers because it feels nice, but with this new perspective I will think twice about it. I may be naive about this topic, but I wonder why other countries cannot gain permanent access to clean water. Financial reasons? I looked to the trusty Wikipedia for some answers. Here is an excerpt about India:

India’s growing population is putting a strain on the country’s water resources. The country is classified as “water stressed” and a water availability of 1,000-1,700 m³/person/year.^[3] According to UNICEF, in 2008 88% of the population had access and was using improved drinking water sources.^[4] “Improved drinking water source” is an ambiguous term, ranging in meaning from fully treated and 24 hour availability to merely being piped through a city a sporadically available.^[5] This is in part due to large inefficiencies in the water infrastructure in which up to 40% of water leaks out.^[5]

In the same 2008 UNICEF report, only 31% of the population had access and used improved sanitation facilities.^[4] Open sewers are common place in urban areas.^[5] A little more than half of the 16 million residents of New Delhi, the capital city, have access to this service.^[5] Every day, 950 million gallons of sewage flows from New Delhi into the Yamuna River with any significant forms of treatment.^[5] This river bubbles with methane and was found to have a fecal coliform count 100,000 time the safe limit for bathing.^[5]

Due to surface water contamination due to lack of sewage treatment and industrial discharge, groundwater is becoming increasingly dependent on and exploited in many regions of India.^[6] This process is being expedited by heavily subsidized energy costs for agriculture practices;^[6] which make up roughly 80% of India’s water resource demand.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_issues_in_developing_countries

Breakfast: round bread-like ball, omelet, veggie curry and tea. I went to the Manipal Library rock garden to take the online book quizzes in preparation for the quiz. I completed three online quizzes and did not get to two. The real quiz was good. I’m thinking I may have missed one multiple choice question, but let’s hope for the best. Then, Raj lectured on two topics: cultural & environmental effects on health.

Lunch: barley rice, veggies with curry flavor, vegetable curry, paneer (cheese) curry and coconut milk jelly dessert. Some people bought ice cream for only 50 rupees. I need to get some one day. A group of us went to the store. I got another 4-pack of toilet paper ($2.50), tide bar ($0.17) and a light green blanket with a stitched flower design ($3.40). This is weird, but buying items here is a liberating feeling… succumbing to that consumerism, which is good and bad. Good – because the goods in India are cheaper compared to the US. Bad – because I don’t want to buy items I don’t need. I’m usually conscious about spending money. I’m still not completely used to the exchange rate here. When I’m using a 1000 or 500 valued bill, I perceive that as a lot because my mind is still in US mode. The blanket will come in handy because I brought a small and thin blanket for the trip that doesn’t provide enough warmth and also does not cover my feet so I am excited to sleep comfortably tonight.

Went to Manipal Library around 1:30pm. Today was Dr. Bhat’s last lecture with us on Indian society and culture. He traveled all the way here from Hyderabad to provide these lectures for us and is going home tomorrow. I feel so bad because I experienced the post-lunch dip during his lectures several times. It was not my intention to fall asleep We took a group pic with Dr. Bhat in the classroom.

As a group, we walked to the Marena, the “RPAC” of Manipal University. It’s a beautiful facility with great views of a green and luscious valley. Their slogan is “play it hard” compared to the RPAC’s “life in motion”. The front desk guy told us about the amenities and policies:

• Non-markable soles are required for most of the sports offered.
• One has to bring their own equipment for sports.
• Patrons have to bring new shoes with them to workout; no outside shoe can be used inside.
• Some amenities include: sauna, pool, badminton, simulator games, basketball, volleyball, ping-pong, indoor track, weights, cricket and tennis.
• They close during class hours (1-4pm) to encourage students to go to class.

The Marena is on a hill so the floors go down into the ground (-1,-2,-3,-4,-5). It was funny seeing negative signs in the elevator. I tried to take a picture, but they did not like photography in the building. They took us on a tour of the facility, and we had to take off our shoes. I like that they keep it clean. I learned that cameras are not allowed when I was vlogging on the track. I would totally workout there if they didn’t have such stringent policies. I don’t have another clean pair of shoes, but it was nice to see the facility.

We walked back in time for tea. Something that tasted like fried tofu balls were served. I ate one and gave the other to Lindsey because I don’t enjoy fried foods. Went back to hostel and washed all my dirty clothes with the new Tide bar. I have decided to try hand-washing clothes again and I liked it this time maybe because I knew it would be more clean with the Tide as opposed to another bar soap. I also recorded a five-minute video of myself washing a shirt. I am thinking about speeding it up for the real vlog to give people an idea on how to hand-wash clothes. I didn’t know how before coming here, but I figured out a method and wanted to share because it’s a good thing to know in life I guess?

Day 5 (Wednesday, May 7): “Great things happen when you just sit down because a lot can happen over coffee”

Slept well last night only waking up once and then sleeping right up until the alarm at 7:30am. Had the intentions to vlog the hostel in the morning but Anna was leaving just as I opened my door so she waited for me to get ready. Breakfast was pretty good: potato and onion laden with curry, omelet, toast, jam and tea. Someone on our trip said they really appreciate the toast and jam because they liked the breakfast food culture in America. In Indian (and Asian) cuisine, breakfast food does not really exist. Breakfast, lunch and dinner consist of very similar types of food.

I left breakfast early with Kelsey F and Anna to go to the store. The Manipal convenience store was not open yet so Anna bought one mango at a stand. Then, we took a new route to the library which was an opportunity to explore more of the Manipal campus. Sat in the rock garden for a little bit to use wifi.

Dr. Raj lectured on the interplay amongst health, education, economy and poverty. I needed to sit in the front of the classroom along the wall to charge my computer and a mosquito was flying about (silently freaked out). Thought I wouldn’t encounter any of those inside an air-conditioned room. Lesson learned: always wear bug spray in the morning. Surprisingly, the internet connection worked perfectly up front. Haha.

Then, went back to the hostel and was able vlog as I was coming back down from the 6th floor. I ran into Sesen and Alexa under the wifi tree and plopped down next to them. I did a mini vlog featuring the girls and also Lindsey and Ashley as they came down. Lunch was pretty good now that I’ve figured out to get vegetarian (the chicken was always with bones and sometimes spicy which was difficult to eat). I got barley rice, roti, chickpeas, potato balls in curry and another curry that is my favorite. It looks like there are small tapioca in it, but I’m pretty sure that’s not correct.

Adam told us about a local friend he made on the citibus. He’s going to OSU next year! They’re Facebook friends now. That’s crazy and so cool! Dan and I walked to the library while the others went to the hostel. Taniqua and Alvien were already at the rock garden. I used wifi on my phone and checked Instagram. OSU global posted a pic of the Wolfe recipients doing O-H-I-O at End Point. Sooooo exciting!

Class at 2pm: more culture and society. Finished caste lecture and started nationalism. Had some interesting talks and questions about the prevalence of child marriages, abstinence and female circumcision.

Tea time at 4pm consisted of French toast-like bread. I was skeptical about eating it because I vowed to myself that I will try to pick more healthier options. I feel like I am gaining weight on this trip because they feed us so well. I think I will name my India Facebook album “Tea Time” because it’s my favorite time of day.

Walked back to the hostel around 5:30pm and the front desk lady informed us that the IT guy came. We are finally getting our internet connection checked out so that the wifi is not spotty. I went to my room and tried logging on to the internet. It was working slowly. A couple minutes later, the guy knocked and just said “plug in the Ethernet cord”. I asked him to connect it just in case I didn’t know how, and the wifi worked perfectly fast after that. The only downside is that it needs to be connected to the wall. I uploaded pictures to the computer, watched an AprilJustinTV vlog (my inspiration for vlogging) and blogged. Anna knocked on my door to go to dinner. I wasn’t ready due to the newfound wifi connection, but quickly got ready and left. Dinner was pretty good. There was a mashed curry potato dish with what tastes like fake meat for vegetarians. The spicy corn was too spicy for me.

Afterwards, we planned to play cards in the coffee shop in the main library building. Went back to hostel to get Manipal ID cards with Rachel & Sahanna, then Sahanna needed to wait for Sesen so Rachel and I gathered people to walk to the coffee shop. I told Sahanna I watched all the vlogs on my computer and was just laughing to myself in my room because of her narrations in them. Sahanna thinks she’s awkward and said she should act more normal. And I told her “noo being yourself is the best part”. Rachel expressed interest in appearing in my vlog. More and more people are beginning to know about my vlog project so that’s nice because then I can try to include everyone by the end of the trip. I’m also coming to terms with the fact that talking to a camera can be awkward and silly, but is such a powerful way to capture moments.

Students were sprawled out in all corners of the coffee shop studying. Lindsey bought a frappuccino and chocolate cake. Sahanna also bought a chocolate cake. We sat in a circle on the floor and finished the food before checking our belongings and passing through security. We proceeded to the 6^th floor (highest) and formed a circle on the floor once again. The climate was extremely humid up there. First, we played spoons (or highlighters). I was eliminated first. Then, they wanted to play Mafia (card game) so I assumed the role of narrator. I dug into my creative juices to conjure up stories about how someone was “killed” by the mafia. I don’t think of myself as a creative person so this took some brainstorming. I used a monsoon, Godzilla, taking a spaceship to Mars & never returning and hanging out of a crowded bus. Returned to the room around 10:30pm. Skyped with mom, showed her the room and the 2 kurtis I bought. Then, I wanted to publish the Day 3 blog which took me up until 2am. I was so tired that it was a very good sleep, but I should probably keep a better sleep routine because the days need full energy.

Day 4 (Tuesday, May 6): Mingling with the Locals

Breakfast was really good. Tasted like Asian cuisine with what I would call mei fun (the noodles pictured above in Cantonese). There were also curried potatoes, omelets, toast and jam. I also tried the coffee for the first time. It’s similar to the milk chai tea so it was tasty.

We received a lot of cultural and societal stories from Dr. Raj in class today:

1. If a pedestrian is hit in traffic, the person who hit them most likely runs away, especially if they’re not from the same town. A witness would help you and call the ambulance. If the person in the vehicle stays, other people will hit them.

2. From Dubai to India, you see a lot of boxes serving as suitcases. A lot of people make money from the middle east and are penny-pinchers so they will use boxes. If you are with this crowd, you will experience a lot of questions at customs.

3. Traditionally, babies are not named upon birth. They are named within 6 months. Most names are religious or relate to nature.

4.The template for a name is town born in, family name, and first name. To use our resident director as an example, his name is H.N. Nagaraja. The H (Haikady) is the town. N is the first letter of the family name. Nagaraja is his first name, which means king cobra.

5. Growing up in an extended family (uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents) is very normal. This parallels to Asian culture because we place emphasis on the family unit and taking care of your elders.

After class, I walked with Sesen to the wifi tree. Wifi really does work there!

Lunch: yellow rice, barley rice, spicy chick pea curry, another curry that was less dense and delicious, beans and a dish of tomato and onion in white sauce – this one didn’t settle for my taste buds. I went back and tried a coconut milk-like jelly dessert. It was served warm and reminded me of a dessert we have in Vietnamese culture. In fact, they taste almost identical so I enjoyed that. Food is such a fascinating topic to look at from culture to culture.

I also had a chance to talk to a student at lunch! His name is Raushen. He knew that we were OSU public health students studying abroad. He said he befriended some people from last year’s trip and knew we had a group that consistently visits. He asked me if I knew 2 students by name and I didn’t. I told him that there are 60,000 students at OSU so it’s difficult to know everyone. Later, I was sitting with Sesen in the rock garden using the wifi and she was looking at a graduation picture of the girl he mentioned. She graduate with a degree in public health so she does exist. Another crazy world connection. He is a 3^rd year pharmacy student from the north and said it’s a different environment down here. I told him how people have said all cities in India are very different from one another. I didn’t know that Manipal U is like the ivy leagues of the US. Manipal U is a private college and costs a substantial amount for the common Indian student, but the education from this place is so sought after because of the brand/name. He asked how many students were with us. He told me that the long table our group normally sits at is called the fresher table because they reserve it for freshmen students during August/September. He asked if Sahanna was Indian and where her parents are from. I only knew her dad was from Gujarati. He said she looks like one and that every trip has one Indian. I said yeah it’s nice because she can tell us more about the food we eat and other cultural information. He questioned “it’s spicy huh?” I said “yep”. He asked what field trips we go on. I only knew Mysore. He told me about a beautiful place south of here that was influenced by the French. I admitted I didn’t know much of where we’re going, but he said enjoy it. He talked about beaches and I said we just went to one a couple days ago. I then commented that it’s interesting this university is very international and attracts a lot of students from different countries. He mentioned it started out as a medical college, so that’s why there’s so many med students on campus. They have a superior medical program. I mentioned Dr. Raj pointing out a Malaysian medical school here. I asked why that’s so. He said he didn’t really understand it either and maybe it’s cheaper here than in Malaysia and it might have started out as a 2 year in Malaysia and 2 year in India program but he was like why not just do it all here. Extremely friendly guy.

We walked over to the Manipal library to sit in the rock garden on the first floor. The wifi works beautifully there also. I was able to check emails, fix blog posts, facebook and instagram an O-H-I-O picture with a caption telling people to follow my journey in India. It feels kind of scary showing people your personal blog and letting them read into your thoughts, “aha” moments and other sentimental musings about life, but in the end I hope to positively impact others from the information I write about. And it may serve as a way for people to get to know me better because of my reserved nature.

I also vlogged with Sesen & other people in the rock garden! Yee I’m so excited to compile these videos. It was a good one because I got to capture other people on the trip. Sesen helped narrate. Kelsey, Sahanna and Rachel said hi.

2pm society and culture class with Dr. Bhat: he talked about castes a lot.

Quick fact: Doctors are not allowed to tell the gender of the child before the child is born due to the bias against females.

Tea time: lentil samosas and milk chai tea.

Our plan was to go shopping at 5pm but the sky let down a steady downpour of rain for 10 minutes. We watched from the cafeteria porch and eventually, the rain slowed down. Typically, rain is not seen until June, which is monsoon season but because of global warming or another reason, the pre-monsoon season is starting sooner which could have adverse effects on farmers and crops because the rain is not coming at the right time.

We walked to the outskirts of Manipal and caught a citibus for 8 rupees per person. We arrived in Udupi 10 minutes later. We walked through a town full of small shops, which reminded me of Chinatown. We went to a Krishna temple. Each Hindu temple has a bath where people wash themselves. We saw an elephant, which we weren’t allowed to take pictures of. Then, we went to a department store to buy kurtis or tunics. Finding the perfect one was so difficult because they laid out piles for everyone according to size, but then it all got messed up. It was hard because every piece of clothing was unique in the store not like in the US where they have multiple of each item stacked. The clearance section in the back had really good prices though. I found 5 to try in the dressing room and bought 2. I bought a silky blue-green swirl designed short sleeved kurti and a red long sleeve with a flower body design. The blue one is a bit large in the shoulder/arm region but I am planning to use it as PJ’s back in the states because the silky material is very cool feeling on the skin. The red one fits perfectly, and I am excited to wear it. In total it cost 1260 rupees ($21). The store was on the fancier side so I would like to find more casual modern wear clothing, such as lightweight quarter-sleeved Indian style blouses. We then went back to the temple to watch a ceremony. They put a holy statue at the top of the chariot, live music was played and the elephant led the parade down the street. A line of people pulled the chariot, people lit a path with small sections of fire and they burned a white cloth. They also launched sparklers from the ground. Later, we find out that this ceremony serves as an offering to the God.

Then we walked to a restaurant near the bus station where we would eat dinner. Near the restaurant, we also got to see a mosque. The restaurant was separated into a meat and vegetarian side. We all decided to choose vegetarian and stick together. I sat at a table with Lindsey, Kelsey F. and Dr. Raj. I wasn’t feeling hungry, so I asked for advice about what to get for a small non-fried meal (not a big fan of fried foods). I ended up getting the Dal Kitche. It was long rice cooked in a non-spicy sort of sweet curry. It had the consistency of a porridge, and I really liked it. It came with a large black pepper chip with yogurt but the pepper was very spicy so I let Kelsey eat it (also not a big fan of too spicy food). For dessert, Kelsey got mango ice cream with a fruit salad (apples, candy cherry, grapes) and Lindsey got a green pista (pistachio) slab of ice cream. My meal cost 75 rupees. In India, 5% tip is pretty generous. At the front of the restaurant, a man stood there greeting people and he asked if we wanted a group picture in front of the restaurant, and we said sure. Sahanna gave him her phone. The picture turned out really nicely despite it being a upward looking angle (normally makes people fat), but the lighting seemed like we were in a greenhouse so it was a good composition. Sesen and Sahanna were comparing hand sizes and Sahanna’s looked baby compared to Sesen and I’m like “hold up, let’s compare Sahanna”. Our hands were exactly the same size. I haven’t many people with the same hand size haha. So we decided we needed to name ourselves. Small hand twins was the first option, and then I said shawties. And Sahanna added Asian to it so now we’re known as Asian shawties. Bahaha. We then boarded the bus back to Manipal U.

It was around 10pm when we got back and most of us felt very exhausted. Went back to the hostel, showered and hand washed my clothes. It was hard work. I have some heavy material such as t shirts and jean-like so that was harder to wash than light clothes, socks and undergarments. It took me about an hour. I might use the linen service next time because I was creating puddles of water in the room by hanging the clothes everywhere. The fan really helps in drying, but I get so cold during the night. I need to buy a warmer blanket… I wear a sweater, t-shirt, pants, scarf and socks to bed. I have a theory that bugs are attracted to humid weather so I am trying to keep my room as cold as possible. So far I’ve only seen several small bugs.